Touring Turkey (Part 6): Hiking and cooking in Cappadocia

Hello from Erkilet International Airport, where I’m sitting, waiting to board a flight back to Istanbul. I’ve had a brilliant few days exploring Cappadocia, and only wish I didn’t have to leave so soon! If you haven’t yet read about my first day and a half in Gorëme, be sure to do so now by clicking this link. Otherwise, get your hiking boots on, because – picking up from where I left off last time – I’m going to transport you to the magical Rose Valley!

Day 11 (7th September)

Hiking in Rose Valley

Hiking has never really been my thing. Don’t get me wrong: I love the views you get from the top, but if I have to go uphill for miles in the baking sun, I’ll probably be uttering a fair few lamentations along the way. To avoid such misery, I decided to stick to Cappadocia’s less demanding valleys.

Originally, I was going to go on an Airbnb hiking tour: I found one that was reasonably priced and covered a lot of ground in a short time. However, some friends and relatives expressed concerns about my being alone in a remote place with a man I’d never met, so I decided to cancel it in the end, and do the walk unaccompanied. Better to be by yourself than with a local hiking expert…right? (I’m only half joking.)

Since I’d had rather a long nap after my balloon watching adventure that morning, I didn’t actually set out for my destination – Rose Valley – until around four o’ clock. This turned out to be a very good thing: not only was it much less hot, but also there were plenty of other people around at this time, all, I imagine, hoping to see the sunset. Nothing bad happened on my hike, but it was comforting to know that I wouldn’t be totally alone if, for example, I had a nasty fall.

I didn’t really follow a specific route: these valleys are notorious for being unmapped, so there was no use trying to find someone else’s or plan out my own. Instead – guided by the occasional makeshift signpost – I simply headed along whichever dusty pathways I could find, keeping an eye out for particularly striking rocks, which I hoped would act as useful landmarks on my return journey.

I strolled along for goodness knows how long, stopping at each clearing to take in the stunning panoramic views they offered. I’d read that a number of women had been attacked while hiking alone, so I was ever so slightly wary before setting out, but I’m pleased to say that I did not once feel in the least bit unsafe. In fact, the only time I ever did worry was when I was descending steep pathways, but I found that if I hobbled along the walls of rock enclosing said pathways, I usually had a pretty steady grip.

In total, I covered about seven kilometres: not a huge distance, I know, but given my overwhelming fatigue, I was pretty proud of myself for doing any exercise at all!

A spot of retail therapy

Back in Gorëme, I decided to have a quick browse of some of the shops lining the central street. Most products I’d seen before in other tourist shops across the country, but one thing I hadn’t yet grown tired of was Turkish lamp displays. As a result, I spent quite a long time hopping from one place to the next, trying to suss out where the cheapest one could be bought. I found one shop selling them for 40TL apiece, but for some reason I didn’t take up this offer. This I’m sure I will live to regret!

I also stopped off quickly to see the outside of Galerie İkman, a beautiful carpet shop that provides the backdrop for many a photo. The catch? Entry costs about £10 (unless, of course, you’re actually interested in buying something there). Since I was neither in the mood for posing nor purchasing, I snapped some sneaky shots of the boutique’s facade, just as the owner was about to come outside and shoo me away!

Kale Terrasse

After this mini shopping spree, the number one thing on my mind was food, and Kale Terrasse – a picturesque restaurant that had caught my eye earlier that day – is where I decided to get it. The place was, unfortunately, pretty crowded when I arrived, so I was seated inside, and told that I could move if any tables freed up. In typical lazy person style, I didn’t, in the end, bother to do this, even though the fairy-light-covered terrace was the eatery’s main selling point.

Inside, warmed by a boiler which stood on the other side of the wall, I enjoyed a sizzling bowl of cheese-topped lamb köfte (meatballs). Free with the meal – oh, how I love Turkish hospitality! – came bread, cheese, and salad, and by the end I was totally stuffed! This gave me the perfect excuse to turn down yet another waiter’s date offer: ‘I’m too full and need to go home and sleep!’ Disappointed, the man let me get away, but not before calling out, ‘Come back if you change your mind!’ Spoiler alert: I didn’t.

Day 12 (8th September)

A Turkish cooking class

The following day, I awoke bright and early to take part in a Turkish cooking class! I’d been looking forward to this activity ever since I’d seen it advertised on my hostel’s website some months earlier, and it certainly didn’t fail in meeting my expectations! A local elderly lady was our instructor for the morning, and – in case we hadn’t trusted the hostel’s judgment – it soon became apparent that she really knew what she doing. Not only did she never measure anything out, but also, when it came to potential hazards, she was seemingly indestructible! Really: she did things like pulling out piping hot oven trays with her bare hands!

From lentil soup, to stuffed vine leaves, to a dessert made by cooking grape molasses with flour, we – one Brit, two Americans, and I – prepared quite the feast! My favourite dish of all? The stuffed aubergines: surprising, given that I’m not normally a huge fan, but maybe it’s because they were deep fat fried. (Our cooking coach, by the way, added at least a cup of oil to each dish – crazy!)

When everything was ready, we enjoyed our lunch round a table in the hostel’s outdoor common area, along with rolls of bread bought fresh from a nearby bakery, and copious amounts of water (the food had a lot of salt in it, too!). Afterwards, so full we could hardly move, we sat around sharing travel stories, and competing against each other in trivia games. It was lovely to spend time with these people – none of whom I’d otherwise have crossed paths with – and to hear about all their extraordinary nomadic adventures.

Hiking in Pigeon Valley

After a much needed nap – and a much needed snack (a chocolate-covered waffle stick) – I decided to make the most of my last evening in Cappadocia by going on a second hike, this time in Pigeon Valley. It took me a while to actually find the place – indeed, it didn’t show up on Google Maps, so I was relying totally on milestones – but once I was there, I enjoyed a very pleasant (and relatively unchallenging) stroll past pigeon lofts, fairy chimneys, and the occasional pumpkin patch.

Despite a rather terrifying encounter I had with an angry dog about halfway through my walk (it was, thank goodness, tied up!), I think this was, overall, my favourite thing I did in Gorëme. Why? Because it was the activity for which I had the lowest expectations. It’s always the sights we big up in our heads that are most likely to disappoint upon arrival.

I wandered along the dusty trail for a good few hours, turning round when the sky was beginning to darken. By the time I’d got back to the valley entrance – which required walking through a couple of pitch black tunnels without a torch – night had descended on the town. I headed back to the centre to find something to eat.

Dinner for one

For some reason, Chinese food was Sunday evening’s craving, so, after weighing up my fifty different options, I settled on Peking Chinese. After getting the opinion of a couple who were leaving as I arrived (they were full of praise!), I went on upstairs, and placed my order: spring rolls and beef noodles. This dinner provided just the nourishment I needed after my hike, and I was pleased also to receive only minimal male attention here. (Wow, I sound so vain!)

Drinks for four

After a solitary meal, it was time to get a bit of socialising in, so off I went to the Pasha bar to meet some fellow travellers for drinks. Just one mojito was enough to make me merry – goodness knows how much alcohol they’d put in it – and the later it got, the more I began to worry that I wasn’t going to be able to drag myself out of bed the next morning in time for my airport shuttle bus. (Spoiler: I just about managed.)

Introverted as I am, I’d nearly declined my invitation to this gathering, but I’m very glad that good old FOMO got in the way at the last minute. My new friends and I chatted about everything from teaching to traveller’s guilt, and I actually acquired a great deal of knowledge and wisdom as the evening went on.

Back at the hostel, I quickly packed my bags – I never fully unpack while travelling, so this usually only takes about twenty minutes – then climbed into my cave hostel bed for the final time.

Goodbye Cappadocia!

The following morning, just before my bus was due to arrive, I decided to have one last wander around town. After buying myself some biscuits for breakfast, I headed across the road to see my final sight: Rome Castle. This structure was used in the Roman times as a rock tomb for the deceased. Alongside the body – which was raised on a platform, in order to be closer to the sky – provisions like food and clothes would be placed. It’s not possible to see inside this mighty building, but the facade is interesting enough, with its quirky windows and handful of small columns.

When I’d seen all there was to see, I headed back to the hostel to make final preparations for my imminent journey.

Final thoughts

And here I am now: sitting in the airport, about to fly back to Istanbul! I unfortunately woke up this morning to another onset of food poisoning – not sure the consumption of alcohol was such a good idea after all – but with plenty of medicine and water, I’m sure it will go away again soon enough. These stomach problems, however, have only cast a tiny shadow on my otherwise brilliant time in Cappadocia, and certainly it will be the memories of hot air balloons and hikes which shine through in my mind.

As usual, I’ve got a few tips and tricks to share with you all. If you’re planning a trip to Cappadocia:

1. Be aware that the famous underground cities have narrow passageways which can induce great anxiety in claustrophobes. I removed them from my to-do list as soon as I realised this! (Also bear in mind that you’ll probably have to book a tour in you want to see any of them: that is, unless you’re renting a car, and can drive there, yourself.)

2. Do a cooking class: you’ll spend quality time with locals, meet other travellers, and be able to add a few dishes to your repertoire!

3. Learn the name of sights in Turkish, as well as English! I only found Pigeon Valley because I recognised signs with Güvercinlik written on them.

4. Hike: you’ll see some breathtaking landscapes, and will get a bit of exercise in along the way.

5. If you’re hiking in the evening, turn back at sunset. Trying to find your way home in complete darkness is neither fun nor safe.

And some pearls of wisdom that I picked up from the other travellers I met in my hostel:

1. Traveller’s guilt is real, but it doesn’t have to be. If certain sights don’t appeal to you, just don’t visit them – even if they’re raved about in all the guidebooks! Following someone else’s itinerary will take all the fun out of exploring a new place, so think about what you, yourself, want to do, and know that no landmark is actually unmissable. (The same applies for foods, restaurants, shops, etc.)

2. The best way to defend yourself is to stamp down hard on your attacker’s feet: their shock should last long enough for you to be able to make a dash for it.

3. Don’t expect people from other countries to have the same values as you: it’s fine to share your own beliefs, but jeering at others for seeing the world differently is never acceptable.

4. Anyone who has the means to do so should take time off work to travel. Your break will help to clear away all the stress that’s built up in your mind over the years, and you’ll likely arrive back feeling refreshed and ready to power on!

End of part six

So there we have it: the sixth installation in my ‘Touring Turkey’ series! Look out for two more blogs posts on Istanbul coming very soon, and in the meantime, be sure to check out any articles that you’ve missed along the way. Thank you as always for reading, and wherever you are in the world, have a wonderful rest of day!

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